Rugelach and Linzer Cookies always appear on our NY exurban cookie platter. My mother's family were LONG term residents of Northern NJ and her Christmas baking always included fruitcake, stolen and suet pudding. Rugelach roots obviously not Christmas by tradition but are so good and seem Christmassy with the nuts, chocolate and jam fillings.
I recently read about this long lost but now revived NYC pie called nesselrode pie - chestnuts and cherries are the main flavors. It's being baked by Petee's Pie Company (purchased my Thanksgiving pies from here, and give it two huge thumbs up).
While definitely not a Christmas (i.e., goyish) thing , Rugelach are very much part of NYC baking tradition and special enough to be holiday treats. Ditto another Jewish baking mainstay, black & white cookies - homemade miniature ones would be perfect as holiday cookies. Chocolate Babka too - NY Jewish cousin of a Panettone.
Also, Cannoli and Biscotti have long been popular in NYC (e.g., in the former Little Italy and still vibrant Arthur Avenue) - from long before they were generally trendy. Perfect to include in Christmas baking.
I agree that rugelach are very New York and are also delicious, but as a part-Ashkenazi myself bristle a little at them being claimed as a "Christmas" cookie (Ashkenazim being a subgroup of Jewish people).
New York is most known for NOT cooking, so typical New York holiday baked goods come from a bakery ;)
An iconic New York bakery cookie is the black-and-white cookie, which Deb Perelman posted a recipe for a while ago: https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/black-and-white-cookies/
Didn't really mean to claim them as a particularly Christmas cookie, other than that they can be festive and are more trouble than a lot of bakers will take except for a special occasion. Actually, other than stuff like Ginger Bread Houses and Plum Pudding, I can't think of a lot of really Christmas-identified desserts. Linzer cookies are another one- an any-time recipe, but something people do tend to do for Christmas. It seems likely that in a place as cosmopolitan as New York, most culinary traditions are going to be associated with a particular ethnic or social group.
Further to the various points about ethnicity, New Yorkers bake by picking up something at the bakery...look at the Irish and the Italians, two strong immigrant subgroups that might have brought Christmas baking traditions with them (and/or adapted them).
Just following up on my hunch.
Found no Irish Christmas cookies particular to NY.
But yes, the Italians do some, or cookies and pastry. But others will have to tell you if these are different, at all, from what is served in Italy.
Pierino, can you help us on this?
Examples: Mario Batali cannoli and struffoli (for ending Christmas eve feast of the 7 fishes). Christmas-appropriate biscotti (for ex, with cranberries and pistachio, for the red-green visuals). And panettone, but that's neither a cookie or specifically related to New York.
You seem to be striking out here- I think most of the usual crowd is in a post-thanksgiving torpor. I'm about as un-NY as you get, but I might suggest Rugelach, a traditional Ahkenazi recipe. This site also published a recipe called, I think, "Polish Christmas Cookies" that was a turnover shaped version, and featured a particularly good filling. You could also do a search on this site for Christmas cookies- there've been quite a few. Maida Heatter (my favorite cookbook author) has a book called "Great American Desserts" that you might look into. People have undoubtedly printed Christmas cookbooks, but I would beware of fly by night publications trying to catch people in a buying frenzy- there are a lot of really poor cookbooks out there. Anyway, good luck in your quest.
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http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/eat/nesselrode-pie/
Also, Cannoli and Biscotti have long been popular in NYC (e.g., in the former Little Italy and still vibrant Arthur Avenue) - from long before they were generally trendy. Perfect to include in Christmas baking.
New York is most known for NOT cooking, so typical New York holiday baked goods come from a bakery ;)
An iconic New York bakery cookie is the black-and-white cookie, which Deb Perelman posted a recipe for a while ago: https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/09/black-and-white-cookies/
Found no Irish Christmas cookies particular to NY.
But yes, the Italians do some, or cookies and pastry. But others will have to tell you if these are different, at all, from what is served in Italy.
Pierino, can you help us on this?
Examples: Mario Batali cannoli and struffoli (for ending Christmas eve feast of the 7 fishes). Christmas-appropriate biscotti (for ex, with cranberries and pistachio, for the red-green visuals). And panettone, but that's neither a cookie or specifically related to New York.